Hand operated button sewer



Jan. 12, 1965 CASTELLETTI 3,165,080

HAND OPERATED BUTTON SEWER Filed July 19, 1963 3 hee he t l L ewis Casfel/efii 1 N VEN TOR.

BY mv vm 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1N VEN TOR.

Lewis Casfe/leffi BY MW FM Jan. 12, 1965 L. CASTELLETTI HAND OPERATED BUTTON SEWER Filed July 19, 1963 Jan. 12, 1965 L. CASTELLETTI 3,165,080

HAND OPERATED BUTTON SEWER Filed July 19, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 4

0 4 R m. M Flirt! n E fi N \0 HA .IIIII,IW,M.\-...|.- I E MI r w b V 9 6 d m 1 V1 1 m y a 0\ 0 C E 4 .6 W e 4\ r L B 5 2 u A M m a F l I 2 J M M o 5/ 8 2 2 6 fi 2 E 6 H 5 2 m 0 0 8 F 5 m v 8 8 MM 0 WZ w f B Q a w! 4 Q m 4 5 E/ \\\\\\..m E m w 0 .1 k B L United States Patent 3,165,080 HAND GPERATED BUTTGN SEWER Lewis Castelletti, Buclieystown, Md. (Rte. 1, Mount Airy, Md.) Filed July 19, 1963, Ser. No. 296,232 12 Claims. (6i. 112-412) This invention primarily relates to a portable handoperated sewing machine which is specifically adapted for sewing buttons.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a hand-operated button sewing device which is comparatively small and compact, which fits in the pocket of the user, and is so constructed that it can be used by unskilled persons.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a handoperated button sewing device including a manual operating means pivotally mounted for vertical swinging reciprocal movement and carrying a needle. A button and fabric holddown means is provided for use in conjunction with said needle operating means which is reciprocably shiftable during the vertical downward movement of said needle and operating means whereby a button held in said holddown means and having a pair of spaced apertures may be alternately positioned for the reception of said needle through said button apertures whereby said button may be quickly and etliciently sewn to a fabric.

Yet another object of this invention specifically resides in the novel mechanism used to interconnect the movement of the manual operating means and the button and fabric holddown means for shifting said holddown means upon each downward swinging stroke of said operating means.

Another specific object of this invention resides in the provision of a novel thread looping and tying means positioned beneath the holddown means and operable in conjunction therewith for attaching and looping the thread used to sew the button to a suitable fabric after the needle has positioned it. More particularly, said thread looping and tying means includes a pivotable member having a pair of oppositely facing hooks, said hooks alternatively looping said thread upon each successive upward movement of the operating and needle means and dropping said loop upon the downward movement of said needle whereby said needle may be received therethrough to tie said thread about the button and fabric.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a second novel mechanism for rendering said thread looping and tying means operative in the foregoing manner in response to movement of said operating and needle means.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a portable hand-operated button sewer of the character indicated which will be highly efiicient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the sewing device comprising the subject matter of the instant invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating the device in one position of operation.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but illustrating the position of the parts during a subsequent step in the operation of the device.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the device with its outer cover removed.

3,165fl89 Patented Jan. 12, 1965 "ice FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the device with its outer cover removed.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical, transverse cross sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 66 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical, transverse sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 77 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical, transverse sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line t58 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 9 is a vertical, transverse sectional view taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 99 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the base portion of the device and illustrates the mechanism for shifting the button held in the button and fabric holddown means in one position of operation.

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 but illustrates the mechanism in another position of operation precedent to shifting the button in a direction opposite to that shown in FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a perspective schematic view of the needle and thread used in the instant device entering a pair of apertures in a button and said thread being looped and tied by the novel loop and tying means used in the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the hand-operated button sewer is generally designated by the numeral 20. The button sewer 20 comprises a base 22 and a manual operating means 24 hinged to a pair of upstanding ears 26 and 28 by means of a hinge pin 30 at the rear of the base 22. As shown in the drawings, the operating means 24 and the base 22 are hollow to receive a plurality of components of the device. Further, a coil spring 32 received between an upstanding lug or projection 34 on the base 22 and a laterally projecting arm 36 of a partition member 37 within the operating means 24 normally biases the operating means 24 away from the base 22 and,

allows for vertical swinging and oscillatory movement of the operating means 24 with respect to the base 22. The operating means 24 has a pivotable top cover 38 hinged to the side walls thereof as by pivots 39. Similarly, the base 22 has a bottom cover 40 which is adapted to be slid upwardly along the side walls of the base and may be readily removed. By the uncovering of said two cover portions, access to the interior of the operating means and the base may be gained.

A needle holding assembly, see FIGURES 2, 3 and 9, generally designated by the numeral 42 is positioned at the forward end of the manual operating means 24. Said assembly comprises a substantially U-shaped bracket portion 44 the arms of which include aligned apertures for the reception of a needle 46. The needle 46 extends through an aperture in the bottom portion of the manual operating means. A clamping screw 48 completes the assembly and clamp the needle to the bracket 44. Depending from the cover portion 38 of the manual operating means 24 is a lug 5! which carries a thread supply 52 on a spindle 54. The spindle also carries a coil spring 56 between the lug 5i) and the thread supply 52 for normally biasing the thread supply up against the opposite side wall of the manual operating means 24. The thread 58 from the thread supply means 52 passes beneath a ten-' the eye 74 of the needle 46. Pin 60 and loop 62 of the spring 64 maintain suitable tension on the thread 58 when it is pulled through the eye 74 of the needle 46. The

slack take-up lever '70 and its operation will be described below.

Disposed on the base 22 for reciprocably shiftable, axial movement along the base is'a button and fabric holddown means generally designated by the numeral 76. Said means comprises a pair of superimposed clamping portions 78 and 80. The top clamping portion has a rectangular aperture 32 formed therein for the reception of the needle 46 therethrough while the bottom clamping portion 80 has a U-shaped aperture 84 formed therein for the same purpose. A base portion 85 completes the button and fabric holddown means. Said base portion 86 also has a rectangular aperture therein for the passage of the needle 45. As shown at FIGURES 2 and 3, each of the clamping portions 78, St has a tab 88 and SW formed at the rear thereof by bending each of said portions. Disposed Within each of said bent portions is a hinge pin 92 and 94 which are respectively connected to a pair of ears 96, 28 and 1%, 102 bent up from the portions 89 and 86 respectively. Coil springs 104 and 1&5 surrounding the hinge pins 92 and 94 bias each of the clamping portions 78, 81 to a closed position overlying the preceding plate. As shown at FIGURES 2 and 3, a button such as 106 is adapted to be positioned and held between the portions 78 and 80 and a fabric 108 is held between the portion 86 and base cradle member 86, by the force of the coil springs 1194, 1115 biasing said portions toward said button and fabric. The buttons and fabric are positioned beneath the respective clamping portions. by merely depressing the tabs 83 and 99, positioning the button and fabric and allowing the coil springs 104, 195 to bias said clamping portions by releasing the tabs.

The base plate 36 is adapted to axially slide with reciprocal linear motion upon the base 22 for alternately positioning one of the apertures 11%, 112 in the button 106 beneath the needle 46. In order to effect and guide the foregoing movement, a pair of tabs 114, 11s depend from the forward portion of the member 86 and are slidably positioned within a pair of slots 118, 126 formed in the base 22. The base member 86 is normally retained in position upon the base 22 by means of a threaded fastener such as 122 threadedly received within the base 22. An elongated slot 123 in the member 36 allows for the requisite movement of the base member 86 relative to the base 22 and fastener 122.

Referring now specifically to FIGURES 2, 3, liland 11, it will be seen that in order to effect the shifting move ment of the button and fabric holddown means '76, a first linkage means comprising links 124 and 126, 128 and 130 are provided which are pivoted together in the manner shown. The link 124 is also pivoted and carried by the hinge 30, as well as the link 128 being pivoted about a stationary pin 132 received through the side walls of the base 22. The link 124 has a laterally extending arm 13 adapted to lie flat against the bottom wall of the manual operating means 24. A coil spring 136 wound about the hinge has one end draped over the arm 134 as shown at 138. When the operating means 24 is moved toward the base 22, the end of the spring 138 will keep the arm 134 clamped to the bottom wall of the operating means 24 and cause it to pivot about the hinge 3%). This will in turn move the link 124 rearwardly which will pull the link 126 and cause the link 128 to pivot about the pin 132, thereby pushing the link 13b forwardly.

A second linkage means comprising a link 14! and a link 142is adapted to move the member 86. The link 140 is pivoted to the link 142 and the link 142 in turn is V pivoted about a pin 144 carried by a side wall of the base 22. The link 142 extends through a slot 146 in the base 22 as well as a slot 148 in the plate or member 36. Upon movement of the link 142 about the pivot pin 144, the link will contact the ends of the slot 148 and depending upon its direction of movement will move the plate 86 accordingly. 7

Cam shifting means are provided for forming a connection between said first and second linkage means for reciprocably driving said second linkage means from said first linkage means upon successive downward strokes of said operating means. The cam shifting means accordingly comprises a double toothed cam 151) placed at the end of the link 130. A cam follower 152 pivoted about a pin 1S4 attached to the side wall of the base 22 is pivotally connected to the link 14% of the second linkage means. The cam follower 152 comprises a pair of laterally extending proiections 156 and 158 which are adapted to be contacted by the teeth 16% and 162 on the earn 156. The cam 156i is adapted to slide through elongated slot 164 formed in a partition member 166 spanning the height of the base 22. AUshaped spring 168 connected to the partition 166 by means of a threaded fastener 17% is adapted to resiliently support the link 13% and cam 1543. Referring specifically to FlGURES 2 and 11, it will be seen that upon downward movement of the operating means 24;, the tooth 16d of the cam 15!) will contact a lateral projection 156 on the cam follower 152 upon the link 13% being pushed forwardly due to the action of the link 124. This will cause the cam 15% to push the cam follower 152 to the position as shown in FIGURE 3 and to move the link 142 forwardly thereby pushing the plate or base member 86 forwardly to shift the button and allow the needle 46 to enter the aperture in the button simultaneously. Upon the upward vertical stroke of the operating means 24, the link 1341 is retracted once again to the position shown in FIGURE 2. However, the cam follower 152 and the link 142 will remain in the position shown in FIGURE 3. Upon the next downwardly reciprocal stroke of the operating means 24, the link 13% will again be pushed forwardly thereby pushing the cam 15d forwardly also. With specific reference to FIGURE 10, it will be seen that due to the position of the cam follower 152. the tooth 162 on the cam 15% will first make contact with the projection 153 on said follower. This once again will cause pivotal movement of the cam follower, but in this instance it will be in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FEGURE 10 thereby pulling the link 142 to the left as viewed in said figure. This accordingly will shift the plate or base member 86 to the left thereby bringing the aperture 112 of the button beneath the needle 46 for its reception. In this manner, upon reciprocal strokes of the operating means 24, a button 1126 is adapted to be shifted axially for the reception of the needle 46 in alternate succession through the holes 110, 112 therein.

A rotatable earn 172 is mounted by means of a suitable fastener, such as 174, in back of the base member or plate 8%. When properly positioned, the cam 172 is adapted to limit the backward movement of the button and fabric holddown means 76. In this manner, buttons of different sizes comprising different spaces between their apertures 110, 112, can be sewn by the device. That is, upon downward swinging movement of the operating means 24, the base plate 86 will begin its backward travel, assuming that it was in forward position, until it abuts the edge of the earn 172. This may occur prior to the full downward movement of the operating means 24, but the coil spring 136 is adapted to absorb the excess movement of the operating means. If the cam is rotated to a position relative to that shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the base plate 86 will be unable to move rearwardly. In this position, a button comprising only one aperture may be sewn to the fabric 198.

A thread looping and tying member 176 is adapted to loop the thread 58 after it passes through one of the apertures 11d, 112 and holds said loop until the subsequent downward stroke of the needle 46. During said subsequent stroke, a member 176 will position the loop in such a manner as to receive needle 46 therethrough and upon the upward stroke of the needle 45, the thread will once again be looped by the member 176 and held for the next reciprocal stroke of the needle. The preceding loops which are dropped, are adapted to be drawn taut up 29 against the other side of the fabric 108, to hold the button sewn thereto. This is accomplished in accordance with the shifting of the button to present its apertures alternately to the needle 46 so that the thread is substantially sewn around the button.

In order to accomplish the functions outlined in the preceding paragraph, a second mechanism is employed for actuation of the member 176. This mechanism comprises a lost motion connection between one end of an axially extending rod 178 and a link 180 mounted on the pin and integrally connected to a side wall of the operating mean 24 by any suitable means such as welding or the like so that it will move rearwardly upon the downward stroke of the operating means 24. The link 186 includes a laterally extending projection 182 which has an aperture 184 therein slidably receiving the rod 178'. The end of the rod 1'78 is bent laterally as shown at 186 so that it cannot be disengaged from the projection 182.

The rod 178 passes through an elongated aperture 188 in the partition member 166 and is connected at its end remote from the link 188 to an L-shaped lever 190. This is accomplished by bending the rod 178 as shown at 192 and passing it through an aperture in the lever 1%. The lever 19-9 is pivoted upon a pin 194 secured to the opposite side walls of the base 22. At its forward end, the lever 19%) carries a laterally extending pin 196 which is adapted to ride within a substantially V-shaped slot 128 centrally located in the thread looping and tying member 176. A return spring 288 having one end abutting the top wall of the base 22 is coiled around the pin 184 and has its other end terminating in abutment with the rear side of the lateral projection 192 at the forward end of the rod 178. This spring normally biases the rod 178 towards the front end of the base 22 and at the same time biases the lever 198 for rotation in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3. Due to thi bias by the lever 198, the pin 196 is adapted to be positioned in either end of the V-shaped slot 198 in order to bias the member 176 into one of two loop engaging positions. Upon downward movement of the operating means 24, the lug 182 on the link 18% will contact the lateral projection 186 on the end of the rod 178 and pull it rearwardly. This will cause the lever 190 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3 and position the pin 196 at the midpoint of the V-snaped slot 198. This defines a neutral position wherein said thread looping and typing member 176 is in non-engaging position with a loop.

The member 176 comprises a pair of oppositely facing hook portions 282 and 264. When the operating means 24 and the needle 46 are moving upwardly, one of said hooks will engage the thread 58 and form it into a loop and hold it until the subsequent downstroke of the needle 46 and operating means 24 occurs. The hook which will engage the thread depends on whether the base plate or member 86 is in its forward or rearward position. As shown in the drawings, the member 176 is pivotally carried by a pin 206 journalled in the upstanding walls of a U-shaped bracket 288 rigidly secured to a partition member 210 spanning the sidewalls of the base 22. A wire spring 212 secured at one end to the member 176 extends through an aperture 214 adjacent the V-shaped notch 188 in the member 176 and is secured at its opposite end to the depending projection 116 on the base plate 86 for determining the bias on the member 176 and into which end of the V-shaped slot 128 the pin 1% carried by the lever 198 is adapted to be positioned. If the base plate 86 is in its forwardmost position after the downstroke of the operating means 24, which means that the needle 46 has entered the rearmost aperture 110 in the button 106, the spring 212 will bias the member 176 toward the forward or front end of the base 22, as shown more clearly in FIGURE 3. Upon the upstroke of the operating means 24, the rod 178 will be released by the lug 182 and the spring 208 will tend to rotate it in a counterclockwise direction. However, immediately preceding this motion, the pin 196 is in its neutral position at the bottom of the V-shaped slot 128. Therefore, with the forward bias on the member 176 and the counterclockwise tendencies of the lever 190, the pin 196 will be moved to the left hand end of the V-s-haped notch 198 as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3. This will cam the hook 202 forwardly which will engage between the needle 46 and thread 58 on the upward stroke of the operating means 24 and needle 46.

During the downward stroke of the operating means 24, an upstanding cam 216 extending from the base 22 and having an offset portion 218 is adapted to extend through an aperture 220 in the bottom wall of the operating means 24 and through an aperture 222 at the rear of the slack take-up lever 70. This offset portion 218 of the upstanding cam 216 normally seats within a notch formed in a seating plate 224 which spans the slack takeup lever 70. Therefore, it will be seen that upon downward movement of the operating means 24, a second offset portion 226 on the cam 216 will contact the end of the slot 222 and cause it to slide rearwardly of the device. When this happens, the thread 58 which is positioned through the aligned apertures in the stationary plate 66 and the movable slack take-up lever 70 will be caught between the relatively sliding parts and no further threads can be taken off the thread supply 52.

Therefore, when the hook 202 enters between the needle 46 and the thread 58, upon the upward stroke of the operating means 24 the hook will pull the thread taut forming the aforementioned loop inasmuch as the slack take-up lever 70 is operative to prevent any further thread from being dispensed from the thread supply 52. When the operating means 24 has reached its uppermost position, the apertures at the forward end of the slack take-up lever 70 and stationary plate 66 are once again aligned whereby more thread may be pulled from the thread supply 52 upon a downward stroke of the operating means 24.

With specific reference to FIGURE 12, the operation of the thread looping and tying member 176 is illustrated therein schematically. As shown in the left-handmost figure, the needle 46 has made its initial entry into the button 186 through the aperture 112 therein. This occurs when the base plate 86 or member is in its rearmost position and upon the upstroke of the needle 46, the pin 1196 has entered the right-handmost end of the slot 198 to bias the member 196 rearwardly wherein it engages the thread 58 between the needle 46 and thread to begin forming a loop. Referring to the righthandmost schematic showing, the needle is illustrated as just leaving the second aperture in the button 166. As shown, the base plate 86 has been shifted to its forwardmost position wherein the aperture 110 was presented to the needle 46. During the downwardmost position on the operating means 24 as illustrated in FIGURE 3 for example, the loop formed by the hook 204 was dropped since the pin 196 was positioned at the bottom of the V-shaped notch 198 and rocked member 176 forwardly. This was due to the clockwise movement of the lever 190 being pulled by the rod 178. The needle then went through said first loop and upon the upstroke of the needle 46, the hook 202 engaged the thread 58 between the needle 46 and the thread. This occurred since the base plate 86 was in its forwardmost position thereby biasing the member 176 forwardly by means of the spring 212 wherein the pin 196 entered the left-handmost end of the slot 198 to rock the member 176 forwardly thereby to engage the thread. Since the slack take-up lever 70 was operative upon the beginning of the upstroke of the operating means 24 and needle 46, the thread 58 was looped about the hook 202. Also, due to slack take-up, the first loop is positioned in tight engagement with the bottom of the fabric 108. It should also be noted that the thread 58 has crossed over the top of the button due to the shifing thereof and accordingly the button is held to the fabric in tight engagement. The button is then subsequently shifted and the procedure is repeated with the book 2% coming into play to hold. the loop. When finished, it is only necessary to slide the button and fabric from the superimposed clamps wherein the thread 53 will be cut against the forward edge of the slot 82 and the top clamping portion 78. 7

To briefly summarize the operation of the device, it will be seen that the following movements take place upon the downward stroke of the operating means The link 12% biased by means of the end 138 of the coil spring 39 against the bottom wall of the operating means 24 will be moved rearwardly thereby pivoting the link 1228 forwardly about the pin 132 to project the cam forwardly wherein it will strike one of the laterally extending projections 156, 153 on the cam follower 152, dependent upon the position of said follower. ssuming the parts are in position as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the tooth 16%) will strike the projection 1 6 and rotate the cam follower 52 in a clockwise direction. This will cause the link 142 to move forwardly and push the base plate 86 forwardly wherein the needle n; may enter the aperture 11%). Simultaneous with this movement, the link 180 is also moved rearwardly wherein the projection 182 on said link will con-tact the rearwardly bent portion 18% of the rod 178 to move it rearwardly. This in turn causes clockwise rotation on the lever let} positioning the pin 196 in a neutral position at the mid-section of the V- shaped notch 19%. The foregoing position of parts is clearly shown in FIGURE 3. Upon the upstroke of the opera-ting means 2 and needle 46, the link will be moved rearwardly disengaging the tooth tee from the projection 156 on the cam follower 152. The base plate 86 and accordingly the button and fabric holddown means 76 is left in its forward position. Also, during the downward movement of the operating means 24, the slack take-up lever "ill has shifted rearwardly thereby limiting the amount of thread available. Upon the upstroke of the operating means 2d the spring 2% biases the lever 190 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed inFIGURES 2 and 3. The spring 21?. connected to the lug I16 and the member 175 biases said member forwarclly due to the forward position of the base plate 86. Therefore, when the lever 1% rotates in a counterclockwise direction the pin 1% will enter the left-hand portion of the l-shaped notch 11% and rock the member 1% forwardly wherein the hook 292 engages the thread 58 between the needle as in the thread to form a loop and take-up slack in the thread. Upon the next successive downward stroke of the operating means 2 the tooth 162 on the cam will strike the projection 15% on the cam follower 152thereby pivoting the link M2 rearwardly and moving the base plate or member 86 rearwardly to present the aperture 112 in the button to the needle. Once again, the pin 1% has been shifted to its neutral position, and the first formed loop has been dropped by the thread looping and tying member 176. The needle will be passed through the first loop and due to the bias of the spring 212 and the counterclockwise rotation of the lever 19b the pin 196 will enter the right-handmost portion of the V-shaped slot upon the upstroke of the operating means 24- and needle. This will rock the hook 204- into engagement with the thread and form a new loop. The operation is repeated a number of times and the button is sewn to the fabric 138. The cam T72 can limit the reciprocal motion of the base plate or member 86 whereby difierent size buttons may be sewn.

It should thus be apparent that a fool-proof handoperated button sewer has been disclosed. The operation is simple enough so that one unskilled in the sewing art could easily operate the device. Further, the button sewer is so compact and small that it may be easily placed within ones pocket.

The foregoing is consider as illustrative only of the principles of the in ention. Further, since numerous iodifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the at Is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and oper. on shown and de ribed, accordingly all suitable mo illcations and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope oi the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A hand-operated portable button sewer or" a surficient size, and weight to be grasped, supported and manipulated in one hand of the user, said sewer comprising a pair of elongated hollow members constituting a base and a manual operating means, a pivot means connecting said members at one end of each for oscillatory movement towards and from each other, needle means mounted within said operating means at its other end and projeetaole into said hollow base, thread supply means mounted within said operating means adapted t feed thread theretlzrough into lell means, a button and fabric holddown means, n cans slidably mounting salt holddown means upon said base for longitudinal shifting movement thercaiong, shifting means connected to said hclddown r and to said 0, hing means whereby to effect through successive pivotal movements of said members towards each other a shifting of said holddown means successively in opposite directions and thereby alternately position a of apertures in a button held by said holddown means for p sage of said needle means therethrou ng m including a linkage assembly ho nm said hollow me ibers and connected at one end L: -reof to said lioldclo means and i eluding at its other end a pair of rel tive y movable connected links each carried by one of said members.

2.. The combination of claim 1 including an adjusting means mounted upon said base and movably positionable in the path of travel of said holddown means for abuttingly engaging the latter and adjustably limiting its range of movement wh reby dsized may be sewn.

3. T e combination of cl im 2 wherein r includes a plate reprocatingly s .ole longitudinally of said base, said ad usting means compris' a can pivotally mounted on said base and disposed at one end of said holddown plate.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said holddown means comprises a plate mounted upon the too of said base for guided sliding rec procating movement lon itudinally thereof, a lower clamping element pivotally mounted on said plate for clamping a fabric thcebe wen an upper clamping element pivotslly mounted LnOll said lower clamping element for clam tween, aligned openings in said plate and or element for passage of said needle means there 1 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said linka e assembly includes first second linkage means, said first linkage means including said pair of links and said second linkage means being connected to said hold-down means, said linkage assembly further including a cam pivotally mounted upon one of said members and connected to one of linkage means, a cam follower carried by the other linkage means and movable towards and from said cam and engageable with said cam for alternate reverse mo 'ements of said cam upon successive recrprocations or said cam follower.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said cam has a pair of cam teeth on opposite sides of the cam Divot, said cam being tiltable about its pivot to successively align its teeth singly and in alternation with said cam follower.

7. The combination of claim 1 including a thread looping and tying means mounted and housed within said base, means actuating said looping and tying means in response to and in timed relation to movement of said operating and base means relative to each other.

id holdrlown 8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said thread looping and tying means includes a pivotable member having a air or" oppositely facing hooks, said hooks being adapted to alternateiy loop said thread upon successive upward movements of said needle means.

9. The combination of claim 8 including thread tensioning means mounted in one of said members adapte to engage and hold thread during operation of said loop ing and tying means.

10. The combination of claim 1 including a thread looping and tying means mounted and housed Within said base, means adapted to actuate said looping and tying means in response to and in timed relation to movement of said operating and base means relative to each other, said actuating means including a rod slidably mounted in one of said members, a lost motion connection between one end of said rod and said operating means for pulling said rod in one direction upon successive pivoting movement of said members toward each other, resilient eans for yieldingly returning said rod to its initial position upon pivoting movement of said members away from each other, a lever connected to the other end of said rod, said thread looping and tying means consisting of a pivoted member, said lever being connected to said pivoted member.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said pivoted member has a pair of oppositely facing loop engaging hooks and a substantially V-shaped slot, said lever having a pin slidable in said slot and constituting a lost motion connection betwene said rod and pivoted member, said pin being operable to rock said pivoted member and i move one of said hooks into a first loop engaging position and the other hook into a second loop engaging position when the respective ends of said slot are engaged by said pin.

12, The combination of claim 11 wherein said pin is adapted to be positioned by the downward movement or" said operating means through the last-mentioned lost motion connection in a neutral position with neither of said hooks being in a loop engaging position, said neutral position being at the bottom of said V-shaped slot, spring means yiel in ly biasing said pivoted member in the direction of movement or" said shiitable holddown means after the latter has been shifted by movement of said operating and needle means, said bias determining which end of said V-shaped slot said pin enters upon upward movement of said operating means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JORDAN FRANKLXN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HAND-OPERATED PORTABLE BUTTON SEWER OF A SUFFICIENT SIZE, SHAPE AND WEIGHT TO BE RASPED, SUPPORTED AND MANIPLULATED IN ONE HAND OF THE USER, SAID SEWER COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED HOLLOW MEMBERS CONSTITUTING A BASE AND A MANUAL OPERATING MEANS, A PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING SAID MEMBERS AT ONE END OF EACH, FOR OSCILLATORY MOVEMENT TOWARDS AND FROM EACH OTHER, NEEDLE MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID OPERATING MEANS ADAPTED TO AND PROJECTABLE INTO SAID HOLLOW BASE, THREAD SUPPLY MEANS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID OPERATING MEANS ADAPTED TO FEED THREAD THERETHROUGH INTO SAID NEEDLE MEANS, A BUTTON AND FABRIC HOLDDOWN MEANS, MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTING SAID HOLDDOWN MEANS UPON SAID BASE FOR LONGITUDINAL SHIFTING MOVEMENT THEREALONG, SHIFTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID HOLDDOWN MEANS AND TO SAID OPERATING MEANS WHEREBY TO EFFECT THROUGH SUCCESSIVE PIVOTAL MOVEMENTS OF SAID MEMBERS TOWARDS EACH OTHER A SHIFTING OF SAID HOLDOWN MEANS SUCCESSIVELY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND THEREBY ALTERNATELY POSITION A PAIR OF APERTURES IN A BUTTON HELD BY SAID HOLDDOWN MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF SAID NEEDLE MEANS THERETHROUGH, SAID SHIFTING MEANS INCLUDING A LINKAGE ASSEMBLY HOUSED WITHIN SAID HOLLOW MEMBERS AND CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID HOLDDOWN MEANS AND INCLUDING AT ITS OTHER END A PAIR OF RELATIVELY MOVABLE CONNECTED LINKS EACH CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID MEMBERS. 